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Patapon 3 gallery

What parents need to know

Positive messages

This game combines rhythm-making and simple battles in a light-hearted but challenging musical adventure. Violence is present, but not glamorized. The focus is on feeling a powerful beat and becoming part of it, sometimes with other players.

Positive role models

The patapon warriors are depicted as good creatures who fight with just cause. They chat about their duty and tactics and occasionally crack light, family-friendly jokes.

Ease of play

This is the most difficult game in the Pataponseries as players must perform almost flawlessly in order to complete some of its harder quests. They'll also have to come to grips with sophisticated class, ability, and inventory systems that aren't well explained. Newcomers may simply get lost in the complexity, though they can choose an option that automatically optimizes all of their heroes.

Violence

Tiny, monocular, silhouetted warriors do battle against animals and evil fantastical creatures with bows, spears, and swords. Characters fall and die, but there is no blood or gore.

Sex

Not applicable

Language

Not applicable

Consumerism

This is the third entry in the increasingly popular Patapon series.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Not applicable

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Patapon 3 is a rhythm action game that has players controlling a small group of heroes via musical beats. Violence exists and characters can die, but the stylized silhouette graphics and relaxed dialogue keep things light-hearted. There's no blood or gore. Online play is supported for the first time in the series, but players cannot communicate with one another outside of a small collection of safe, canned messages.

User reviews

Parents say

Kids say

What's it about?

PATAPON 3 puts players in the shoes of a great patapon hero who leads a small group of warriors in battles against dark forces in 2-D environments. As with its predecessors, players control these soldiers by tapping out rhythmic chants in four-beat measures, which are repeated by their followers on-screen. Chants can order the warriors to attack, defend, rush ahead, retreat, jump, party, or even summon a djinn. Success depends on keeping an eye out for visual clues that hint at which series of beats might need to be used next. When battles are finished, the patapon head back to camp, where players can change equipment, view classes and ability trees, and visit the smithy to upgrade items. For the first time in the series, players can pit their patapon teams against each other in online multiplayer.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

To its credit, Patapon 3 retains the series’ distinct artistic style and acclaimed rhythmic play mechanics. Tapping out chants with the PSP’s four action buttons and watching little silhouette warriors interpret those chants as marching instructions is just as satisfying as it has ever been. Best played with headphones, this is the sort of game that will get players tapping their feet and bopping their heads.

However, in what appears to have been a misguided attempt to evolve the series, the game's developers have made things much more complex. Players must now wade through unintuitive menus filled with Byzantine stats as they upgrade their warriors’ equipment and manage their abilities. Worse, the action has been made much less forgiving. In some quests, even the most minor of mistakes can spell disaster and force a restart. Newcomers and veterans alike may be put off by this new level of difficulty. It's still a fun game, but it's much more demanding than either of its predecessors.

Online interaction: This game supports online play, but communication is limited to a small collection of canned text phrases. There is no opportunity to share personal information.

Families can talk about...

Families can talk about music. Do you enjoy games with a musical element? Do you think games can teach you about music? Have you thought about taking up a musical instrument?

Families can also discuss art in games. Do you think games are a valid form of creative expression? Do game designers make art? If so, what sort of messages can game art communicate?

About our buy links

When you use our links to make a purchase, Common Sense Media earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes. As a nonprofit organization, these funds help us continue providing independent, ad-free services for educators, families, and kids while the price you pay remains the same. Thank you for your support.Read more

Best patapon in the series!!!!!!

First of, yes it is VERY difficult. The game tries as hard as possible to be easy. It is almost impossible for newbies to get a hang of things. With that being said, Players that are good with patapon 1 or 2 will have no problem adapting. Second (minor spoilers) there are 7 dark heroes that each represent one of the 7 deadly sins. One character (naughtyfins) is very seductive and tries to manipulate the hero with her beauty but (MAJOR spoiler) can be changed back to her previous self with true love.

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Its just a game that is not so very hard, but some battles are very violents, like when you fight gigants they die and are so freaking. And there´s also a female character that tries to seduct your character with "sexy movements" and she said that she can go to hers " true self form" with true love.

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